What Could We Have Done Different

[reb67]

My wife a I went out on Sunday we went up the Appomattox River above Lake Chesdin the water was stained and we noticed that the water temperature had dropped from the low to mid 80's to the low to mid 70's I picked up a few dinks on a senko. As we were trolling we came across a hump that was holding a lot of fish according to the fish finder. the hump was about 7 to 8 feet with channel at about 12 to 15 feet the fish appeared to be staged on the down river side of the hump at about 9 to 10 feet. So we stayed in this area for about 30 minutes or so and we tried all kinds of lures from senkos, grubs, jigs, crawls, shakey head with a trick worm and then I told my wife let me try something that makes some noise so I picked up a black and blue chatter bait with a june bug u tail trailer. 

In the spirit of full disclosure I threw it into the wind with out adjusting the brakes so while I was working on my professional spool knot the lure fell to the bottom after I freed up my line I picked up the rod tip and a 4.2 nailed it,

We continued to fish the area but nothing not even a nibble. That poses the question what if any thing could we done different.

[BrianinMD]

In the list of baits you tried there are no moving baits. Staged like that I would have tried a crankbait or spinnerbait.

[fishballer06]

Yup, I would have had a Shad Rap or a DT on. 

[Weld's Largemouth]

In the list of baits you tried there are no moving baits. Staged like that I would have tried a crankbait or spinnerbait.

since when do chatterbaits not move???

[BrianinMD]

This is the list I was referring to "we tried all kinds of lures from senkos, grubs, jigs, crawls, shakey head with a trick worm" And a chatter bait is better is shallow grass.

[kikstand454]

Hmmmmm. Sounds like the chatterbait bite would've made me start strokin a jig.

Other options: definitely a crankbait. Fish head spin. Flutter spoon. And I personally would've started out with a c-rig.

EDIT: A Texas rigged big worm might have produced too!

[reb67]

Just started fishing crank baits this year and didn't even thank about it and I have a DT tied on.

Didn't thing of a c-rig because of the sharp drop offs.

I thank the chatter bait bite confused me because it was not in motions it was just laying on the bottom until I picked up the rod tip. In retrospect smoking a jig {what ever in the H that means} was the better option lol I am 2 years in to this bass fish adventure, do they make an app for that?

In all seriousness I really do value you guys input and advice I have never seen or been around people who are so forth coming with so much info.

Am I reading to much into the water temp drop? 

From what I was told and have read when the fish slow down you slow down your approach that's way we were trying the slower lures. Did we miss read the conditions?

[kikstand454]

No the temp change is important. .... but this time of year its a good thing. Some middle 70s water probably turned them on!

STROKING a jig is when you cast a jig out then rip it off the bottom violently- letting it fall back down. The chatterbait bite "dead sticking" would've made me personally try this for a few minutes to fire up the school.

Jmho.

[aavery2]

Keep in mind your measuring the waters surface temperature and while 10 degrees or so is a significant change, it probably was far less in water with much depth.   When you told your story of the fish picking your bait up after it had fluttered to the bottom the first thing that come to my mind was a Red Eye Shad  fished with a Yo-Yo type retrieve.   If your not familiar with this type of retrieve, it is casting the bait, letting it flutter to the bottom and then quickly ripping it up from the bottom to let it fall again.   The Red Eye Shad has a pretty unique action and works well when fished in this manner.

[reb67]

Those  type of retrievals do make since to me but I would have never thought of that. Thanks

There is so much to learn about this green fish I feel as if I am in school again. I have been fishing soft plastics for the first two years and this year I am trying to learn how to fish other lures. How ever I find myself picking up that lure that I started with. Maybe I should leave my soft plastics at home for awhile so I am forced to stay with the other type of lures. Again thank you guys for your input.